Player grand piano.



J. P. CAULFIELD.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1913.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

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e i'wwem toz THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. P. CAULFIELD.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1913.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsm-NmfbM-Eifl J. P. CAULFIELD.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1913.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

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vc m v firm e/ wi/tmeooao 6M x flw 4 gQw/A 75- I THE COLUMBIA PLI IQGRAPH c0 WASHlNGTON, D. c.

JAMES P. GAULFIELD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed January 21, 1913. Serial No. 743,258.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES P. GAULFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player Grand Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in cases for player pianos and has particular reference to an improved construction of fall boards and desk.

()ne object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of case whereby the tracker and music roll holders may be entirely concealed if desired during the operation of the keys by hand.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of fall board and desk that may readily be folded to conceal or expose the tracker without requiring movement of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an improved arrangement of spool boxes, fall-board and desk whereby access to the boxes by movement of the fall-board and desk parts may be readily effected.

WVith these and other objects in view the accompanying drawings illustrate the invention wherein,

Figure 1, shows a vertical longitudinal crosssection through the case with the fallboard down and covering the keys,the section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. '2, illustrates a vertical cross-section the fall-board being raised to expose the keys for hand operation. Fig. 3 illustrates a front elevation of substantially one-half of a piano, the fall-board being laid back on top of the desk to expose the tracker and spool boxes. Fig. 1, illustrates a vertical cross-section through the case with the fallboard folded back,-the section being taken on the line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, also shows a vertical cross-section through the case and spool boxes with the fall-board raised to expose the keys,this section being taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6, illustrates a top plan of a portion of the piano case showing the fallboard down over the keys. Fig. 6 shows another top plan view of the piano with the fall-board folded back to permit the music rack to be turned up. Fig. 7 shows a perspective detail of one of the side walls of the case and the hinge connection which carries the fall-board, and Fig. 8 illustrates in per pective the hinge.

Referring to the drawing the numeral, 1, designates the key bottom, 2, the opposite side walls; 3, the key slip and A, the keys. A plank. 5, extends horizontally between the side walls to form a support for the metal frame, 6, in the usual manner. At the center or midway between the side walls the piano has an upper spool or roll box, 7, and a lower spool or roll box, 8, and the tracker bar, 9, is rigidly secured in place between said upper and lower boxes. At each end of the roll boxes the front of the piano has vertical panel boards, 10, which extend to the side walls, 2, and are rigidly secured in place. Wall strips, 11, are secured against the inner vertical sides of the two side walls, 2, and a plurality of supporting bars, 12, extend horizontally from one wall strip to the other to form supports to sustain the horizontal desk board, 13. This desk-board has a cut-out portion which extends from the rear toward the front, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, and a music rack leaf, 14, has a hinge,- 15, at its front edge and fits into said cut-out so as to be hinged to the narrow horizontal front strip portions, 16, of the desk. A hinge strip, 17, is also pivoted to the hinge, 15, in front of the music rack leaf and said strip has position at the center and directly over the upper music roll or spool box, 7. By reason of the hinging of strip, 17, the same may be turned up to almost entirely uncover the upper spool or roll box, 7, and permit ready access to the latter during the insertion or removal of the music rolls.

By referring to Figs. 1, 6, 7, and 8, it will be noted that to the inner side of each side wall there is pivoted a hinge bar, 18, which latter normally extends in a horizontal plane over the upper edge of'the wall strip, 11, and over the front supporting bar, 12. The free end, 19, of these hinge bars is broadened in a vertical or crosswise direction and extends down slightly at the inner side of the side wall and in front of the upper edge of the panel board, 10. A horizontal cross-bar, 20, extends from one hinge bar, 18, to the other, and has its ends rigidly connected to the free ends 19,.ofsaid hinge bars. Along the inner bottom edge this horizontal cross-bar is provided. with a hinge, 21, and the upper horizo-ntatedge, of,

a vertical cover-board, 22, is attached to said hinge and depends in front of-the-panel boards, 10. This vertical cover-board, 22, extends continuously from one side wall, 2',

to the other and therefore. depends in front.

ing in front, to entirely conceal the spool boxes and tracker,

By referring to Fig. 1, of the drawingit will be seen that the lower horizontal edge of the vertical cover board, 22, is prov ded w th a hinge, 23, and that a horizon,- tal fall-board, 21, has its rear edge connect.-

ed to said hinge so as tobe pivotally carried by said vertical cover board, This fall board, 24;, bass flange, 25, at itsouter edge. and when in the loweredpositiom as shown in Fig, 1, saidfiange, 2,5, restsupon the; top edge of the key slip, 8. \Yhen, the falls board and itsflange arein the. lowered positionthey will. entirely cover and conceal the keys, 4:, as shown in Fig.v 1, and in. the.

leftfhand portion of Fig. 6; The fall board,

2%, and its, flange, 25, however, by reason ofthehinge, 2 3, may be swung up to expose the keys forthe. hand operation, as shown in Fig. 5, at which time theaflange, 25, will beneath the cross-bar, 20, and-will re.-

main under said bar duringthe operation of; the, piano bv hand. The fall-hoard 24:, when raised, will have. a backwardly-inclined po:

sition. by, reason of, the forward location of:

the pintleof'hinge 23, which maybe sufficient n, practice tomaintain the fall-board up. Thisisirnmaterial howeveraas. the fallboard may be held up by any ofthe devices, well known to piano manufacturers. hile in, this hand-operating position, it will be noted- (seeFig- 5,) that both. the fall-board, 24-, and; vertical cover-board, 22, will en-.

tirelyconceal the spool orroll boxes, 7, and, 8,, andthetracker, 9. NV-hile the fall board is in this hand-operating positionthe music rackor leaf, 14, may readily beturnedup on the hinge, 15-, to support the music, a

strip, 26 beingprovided along the front edges,- of the narrow strip portions, 16, of thedesk andalso across the hinge strip, 17, v

to receive the lower edgeof the music sheet or book.

When it is, desired toautomaticallv operatelthepiano the .fall board, 2 4, will first;

be, turned up'with its flange, 25, beneath the SS-bar, 20. as in Fig. 5, thenthe lower or z ta ed e of he ds,- 2, nd; 2

fllhes'raspe by h and, en a h h hinge, 23, andpulled up. During this operation the hinge bar, 18, will come into play because the upward movement of boards, 22, and, 2%, willimpart a like movement to cross-bar, 20, and the free ends, 19, of'the hinge bars which latter will be turned backward and reversed. This reversal of the hinge bars causes the cross-bar, 20, to algebra-reversedasit is swung back over the desk, 13, and music rack, 14, to the position shown in Fig. 2. and during this 0perationthe cover boards, 22, and fall board, 24, willnncover-the front of the spool boxes, 7, and, 8, and thetracker bar, 9'. An inclinedgroove, 27, is DTOVlClQCl' in the upper side of each side wall strip, 11, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, i and? so that the hinge bar, 18, may seat therein and permit the bar, 20,, to be. lowered at the rear of the desk and: musicrack, After the bar, 20, and boards, 22, and, 2%, have beenturned back over the desk, the boards may then be swungdownon the hinge, 21, and laid on top oftheadesk as shown in Figs. 3 and ft, thus leaving the spool or roll boxes and tracker exposed. To finally place the music rolls, the hinge strip, 17, ma be temporarily swung up on the hinge, 15. during the placing of the roll and when the latter is in place; the strip will be returned so as to cover the upper side of roll box 7.

By means; of the present invention a grand piano maybe provided with player mechanism and the tracker and roll boxes entirely. covered, protected and concealed when not innse as a plaver.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by-LettersPatent is 1. A case for a. player-grand pianohaving roll hQlder-s for the music rolls, a cover board movably sustained in front of said holdersto conceal the same and a fall board forthe keys-said fall board being carried. by the said cover board.

2, i-L casefor plaver grand pianos having upper and lower roll holders for the music rolls, aboard; in front ofsaid holders; means for sustaining said board to give it substantially a vertical movement in front of theroll: holders, and a fall board'for the kevs, said fall board being carried by the said vertically-movable board.

3, A casefor player grand pianos having upper and-lower roll holders for the music rolls, a. boardpivotally sustained in front of the rollholdersso as to be moved upwardly and rearwardly to expose the holders anda fall boardfor the, keys-said fall board being carried,v by the pivotallv-susmi d-boa d.

4-, Acase for player grand pianos having upper and lower rollholders for music rolls, a board pivotally sustained in a pendant; position infront. of the roll holders to conceal the latter and a fall board pivotlly connected to the said pendant board and foldable against the latter.

5. A case for player grand pianos having upper and lower roll holders for the music rolls, a desk above said holders; a board in front of the roll holders to conceal the latter; means for sustaining the board so the latter may be swung from in front of the roll holders and moved over the desk and a fall board for the keys,said fall board being carried by the first-named board.

6. A case for player grand pianos having side walls, vertical panel boards extending from the side walls toward the center; roll holders between the inner ends of the panel boards; a movable cover board depending in front of the roll holders and vertical panel boards. and a fall board pivoted to the cover board for covering the keys and movable with the cover board.

7. A case for a player grand piano having side walls, rigid panel boards extending in a crosswise direction from the side walls and being separated at the center; roll holders between the separated inner ends of the rigid panel boards; a cover board extending between the side walls and depending in' 'ront of the panel boards and roll holders; a, fall board pivoted to the cover board and foldable up against the cover board to expose the teys and means for pivotally sustaining the cover board to permit it and the fall board to be swung up above the roll holders.

8. A case for a player grand piano having upper and lower roll boxes for the music rolls; a movable cover board pivotally sustained from above the said roll boxes and depending in front of the latter and a fall board for the keys which is carried by the cover board and movable with the latter to uncover the roll boxes.

9. A case for a player grand piano having upper and lower roll boxes for the music rol s; desk above the boxes; a cover board normally sustained in front of the boxes to conceal the latter and movable upwardly and over the desk to expose the boxes, and a fall board the keys.said fall board being carried by the cover boaro and movable with the latter.

10. A case for a player grand piano having side walls. upper and lower roll boxes for the music rolls: a rigid panel board ex tending from the roll boxes to the side walls; a desk above the boxes; a cover board pivotally sustained so as to swing over the desk and normally depending in front of the roll boxes and rigid panel boards and a fall board pivoted to the cover board so as to swing up against the latter to expose the keys and then move with the cover board over the desk to expose the roll boxes.

11. A case for a player grand piano having side walls, upper and lower roll boxes; a desk above the boxes and said desk having a pivoted music rack; a cover board depending in front of the roll boxes; a fall board pivotally carried by the cover board and means above the roll boxes for pivotally carrying the cover board and fall board to swing them up and over the desk and music rack whereby to expose the roll boxes.

12. A case for a player grand piano having side walls, upper and lower roll boxes for the music rolls; rigid panel boards extending from the ends of the roll boxes to the side walls; a cover board depending in front of both rigid panel boards and both roll boxes and extending between the side walls; a key fall board pivoted to the cover board and means at each end of the cover board for pivotally sustaining the latter.

13. A case for a player grand piano having side walls, upper and lower roll boxes for the music rolls; a desk above the roll boxes; pivoted arms at tle opposite ends of the desk and projecting in front of the latter; a cover .board carried by said pivoted arms and depending in front of the roll boxes and a fall board pivoted to the cover board to move independently of and also with the cover board.

1%. A case for a player grand piano having side walls, upper and lower roll boxes for the music rolls; a desk above the roll boxes; a hinge strip at the front of the desk and over tne upper roll box; a cover board depending in front of and concealing the roll boxes; a key fall board carried by the cover board and means for pivotally sustaining the cover board to permit it and the fall board to be swung up over the desk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. GAULFIELD.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, J12, G. FERD. Voor.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. I). C. 

